2017 is the centenary year of the Champaran Satyagraha which formed the beginning of the organized peasants’ movement in Bihar. On this historic occasion, the CPI (ML), All India Kisan Mahasabha and AIARLA jointly held a Land Rights Satyagraha on 5 and 6 May in Rupouli block of Purnea district. A meeting was held at the Block HQ presided over by Com. Avinash Paswan and conducted by Com. Chaturi Paswan.
Addressing the meeting speakers said that Nitish Kumar is reducing this occasion to mere festivities and destroying the original spirit of the Satyagraha. The CPI (ML) on the other hand stresses he main issue, which is land rights. Lakhs of families do not have housing land in Bihar but Nitish has washed his hands of the issue just as previous governments did. The poor, dalits, adivasis, backward sections and minorities are not getting their rights over ceiling, bhoodan and government lands. The Modi government at the Centre is openly standing with the rich capitalists and land mafia and is promoting a communal agenda with hate-mongering issues like love jihad and gau-raksha. The following demands were made through the land rights Satyagraha:
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1. Implementation of Land Reform Commission recommendations without delay.
2. Parchas to be given to poor settled on lands for a long time.
3. 5 decimal housing land for all poor.
4. No displacement of poor from land without proper alternative arrangements.
5. All poor to be given parchas for dakhal-kabja lands.
6. Registration and all government facilities for all sharecroppers.
7. End eviction of sikmi sharecroppers and give them their ancestral rights.
